Needles and Covers

The Photography of Mohammed Ali

I was recently reading the New York Times when I chanced upon a publication about photographs of Mohammed Ali. There are several pictures in this article but the one I found to be the most powerful and filled with raw emotion was the photograph of Mohammed Ali during a fight. Its profoundly touching... how he knocks his opponent out with such grace and skill.

The article showed Mohammed Ali in all moments of his life, from meeting Fidel Castro to pictures of him after a fight. The most memorable of these is of Mr. Ali in a boxing match, which was photographed by Art Shay. Mr. Shay attracted my interest through his attention to the composition of the picture and how his picture really captured the mood of the match, exciting and action- packed.

New York Times Online, BENJAMIN GENOCCHIO, October 19, 2008.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/nyregion/long-island/19artsli.html?scp=3&sq=Photography&st=cse

Painting, Atmosphere

Ain't no colour paint gonna cover the stains
The pictures on the wall will all remain
And even though he's home now, sound and safe
Surrounded by the faces that he place his faith
The images visit from the past he witnessed
Can't stay away from the memories
Sticks with each detail, embedded in stone
Like he chiseled stoves convictions into his bones
The progress stops and pauses, spits and sputters
Like the basement faucet
And it's obvious he's lost in his regrets
You can smell it on his breath

Ain't no colour paint gonna cover the stains
But now the alcohol is gonna mother the pain
Tuck it away, no complaints
Just laying on his back, on his backyard under the rain
Take tomorrow but doesn't no how though
For every swallow there's another to follow
He weaves his way throughout the story
Looking for a new missing piece or a door key
Spirits used to be for celebration
But now they just take him away from the hell that's waiting
Re-up until it's three sheets up
And pick a place for the skeletons to meet up

Ain't no colour paint gonna cover the stains
But if the oxygen escapes it'll smother the flames
No introduction doesn't speak his own name
Gonna beat them demons at they own game
The sunset rides to the end slow
Same song echoing outside of the window
You can't grow if the skin don't fit you
Sometimes you gotta get low just to get through
No inspiration left to do your best when
Nobody hates you more than you're reflection
Suffer the shame until it stuffs the drain
He's got two hands and a bucket of paint
Come on

This song is about self loathing, addiction, and that there is nothing thats going to cover his (Slugs) circumstances. It sounds like Slug is talking about someone else at first glance. When one looks closer at the lyrics, they can see that its himself he is talking about. He talks about how alcohol is going to stop his pain and push it away. He talks about alcohol as if it will "take him away from the hell thats waiting." Also from this song, it sounds like he's trying to cover up his past. He says from line 2-6, that even though he's safe and secure, he is visited by images from the past.

Daley, Sean. "Painting." When Life Gives you Lemons, You Paint That Sh** Gold. Rhymesayers Entertainment, 2007.

Should Homer be considered an early feminist or an old-fashioned sexist?

It can be argued though many different examples and quotes that Homer is either a feminist or a sexist. Personally though, I believe Homer should be considered an early feminist because he makes one of the most active and powerful characters, Athena, a resourceful and intriguing personage. Athena, the gray eyed goddess, is considered (by even the gods) to be very cunning and powerful. An example of Athena being powerful and crafty is that Zeus, the King of the Gods allows Athena to carry his lightning bolts. Would Zeus have trusted a weaker sex to his most powerful weapon. The answer is no, he trusted a mighty Goddess. To counter the example of Homer being sexist, Homer wouldn't have written down stories then change them, he would hear stories and blend together the common points of the story. To say that Homer is sexist is saying that the entire Greek society is a sexist body.

To accurately describe whether Homer is sexist, one must see the other side of the argument, that Homer was a chauvinistic writer. An argument come when Telemachus tells Penelope to go to her room and to keep the maids busy and such. Then later he says that in Odysseus' place he is the master of the house. This defies common knowledge that most of the time a person who is older is more wise. Telemachus takes control, thinking that his mother is not up to the task of dealing with various problems. These quotes show how some characters are sexist,. I believe that the word sexist was not around in Ancient Greek Times and therefor cannot be applied to this ancient Greek work. The arguments I supplied may only be used if the word sexist was around in that day and age.